Saying goodbye
to my class each year
is a kind of grief
We grow so close
and as the year comes
to a close
we get closer still
And some years
like this year
there’s a magic
in the air
the final week
when tests are finished
report cards entered
and we can taste the summer
When we relish
each other more
and know what we have
is unique
this togetherness
yet celebrating
each other’s uniqueness
And in the midst
of anticipating summer
we are grieving the loss
of something
that comes but once
in our lifetime
This time
together
as a community
that will end soon
too soon
Why is it so hard
to say goodbye?
This year was our first
glimpse
at normalcy
after a pandemic
and after a huge
community-wide fire
and after the loss
of my mom two years ago
and my grandma one year ago
Together
and individually
we have known pain
and loss
And this year was a time
of healing
and growth
and rebirth
together
And individually
This year
I became a published poet
and my class cheered me on
celebrated
and became poets
alongside me
This year
we spent time together
with lunch on the
picnic tables
with fourth first
then fifth joining in
to reminisce
We read together
and let our hearts be tugged
and cried
and laughed
and grew
We wrote together
of our thoughts
and dreams
and wonderings
We learned together
about fractions
and pioneers
about magnets and electricity
about persisting
and awe and wonderment
about forgiveness
and kindness
This year had its
challenges
they all do
but in the end
what we came to
was truly magical
We bonded
in this growth
and the growth was
stellar
and powerful
and rejuvenating
We saw it in each other
and nurtured it
and grew together
as each one spread
our wings
And in the final hour
of our togetherness
we danced and sang
and laughed
and cried
We hugged each other
tightly
not wanting the magic
to end
Looking each other in the eye
and boldly proclaiming
I love you
And then
we stepped into summer
richer
fuller
for having been
together
